June 2012
North Central Argentina: Tucuman, Salta, and Juyjuy Provinces
Visit http://roadstoriesblog.com/northern-argentina for a review of our scouting trip in June 2011.
Explore the Calchaquies Valley and the Quebrada de Humahuaca in Tucuman, Jujuy, and Salta Provinces. These narrow valleys were once used by Inca as trade and transportation routes. We will explore mountains, desert, salt flats, high plains, volcanoes, and lush valleys. We will ascend from 1000 (3281 feet) to 4895 (16,059 feet) meters above sea level and experience the altiplano (high plains) to the North and vast salt flats of the Puna to the West. (The Puna is a high altitude plateau at an average of 4000 meters or 13,123 feet above sea level.) The landscape is constantly changing and the colors are amazing. This journey is different from our past adventures. Our focus will be landscape and cultural photography of the area, with wildlife being last on our priority list.
If you’d like to see snow-capped mountains that resemble Georgia O’Keefe paintings, places that look like Santa Fe or the Badlands on steroids, truly original cultures that still hold to ancient traditions, quaint colorful villages, friendly people, extinct volcanoes, vast salt flats, and bright yellow grasslands...all while eating amazing food (without crowds of other tourists), then come with us to Northern Argentina!
April 2013
Sea Wolves: Orcas of the Peninsula Valdés
Visit http://roadstoriesblog.com/50692299 for pictures and a review of our 2011 Orca trip.
An exclusive adventure focusing on the unique hunting behavior of the Valdés Orcas. These Orcas literally rush out of the sea and on to the beach to capture their prey, a behavior seen nowhere else in the world. The coordinated hunting, food sharing, and other behaviors witnessed here are amazing. Access to these beaches is difficult to obtain. Because of our friendship with the owners, we are able to offer private access to attack beaches at an affordable cost. Because we work with the researchers who have studied the animals for over a decade, we offer the very best opportunity for photographic success. National Geographic, Discovery, and BBC hi-def videographers work in this area with these people. A limited few are given the opportunity each season. Chances are you won’t find a more unique wildlife photo opportunity anywhere else in the world.
· Photograph the unique behavior of the Valdés Orcas as they beach themselves in order to catch prey.
· Enjoy our exclusive access to 13km of privately owned beaches in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
· Work with researchers and national park personnel who get us in the right place at the right time each day.
· Participate in up-close and personal photo sessions among colonies of curious baby Sea Lions.
· Witness the world’s largest Magellanic Penguin colony -- 1 million breeding pairs spread out against the blue, red, and yellow coastal landscape.
· Return home with a travel experience unlike any other.
October 2013
Images for Conservation: Pro-Am Photo Competition
Visit http://roadstoriesblog.com/icf-pro-tour-photography-competition for a description of our experience competing in Texas.
An Images for Conservation Pro-Am Tournament combines a workshop and a fun photo contest into an enjoyable 4-day, 5-evening event that takes place on private lands professionally prepared for wildlife and nature photography. Plan on joining us in 2012 for a Pro-Am Tournament, a workshop and a festive photo contest combined. Open to anyone with a digital SLR. These fun 4-day, 1 evening events take place on private lands professionally prepared for wildlife and nature photography. What do you get from the competitive experience that you don't get from a simple workshop? Plenty! If you've ever competed, you know that part of the process is getting to know your strengths and weaknesses. The Pro-Am Tournament offers the perfect chance to do that. Register for the Pro-Am at: http://www.imagesforconservation.org/pro-am/pro-am-registration
All adventures are planned with the following guidlelines in mind:
Very small groups
· In addition to Laura and German, no more than 5 and no less than 3 photographers.
Private rooms
· We will assume that you want a private room and, unless specifically stated,
you may expect to have one with no single-supplement cost.
· Unless we’re told otherwise, it will be assumed that married couples want to share
a room.
· If you prefer a roommate, just let us know. We’ll do our best to accommodate you.
No buses or vans
· How can you go to the really wild places without 4-wheel drive?
· Ever feel like a lemming being pulled along in a cattle trailer? We travel in comfortable
4-wheel drive SUV’s and 4x4 trucks with heat/air, two-way radios, and GPS systems.
Client comes first
· The clients comfort and photographic success is the priority.
· Ask for what you want, especially photographically, and we really do work hard to
make it happen.
· We’ve learned that you can’t please everyone. But, we promise we’ll do
everything possible to separate the incurably difficult and feed them to the
caimans (that’s a joke, kind of…).
Unique destinations
· Discover new places and avoid common or crowded destinations.
· Return with images most photographers don’t have, giving you a competitive
edge for print or stock sales.
Increased flexibility and creative control
· Have you ever returned from a photo tour knowing that most of your images are the same as every other photographer on the trip? You can’t completely avoid this; a really great moment must be enjoyed by all. But, the least we can do is provide multiple shooting options, remain flexible, split the group, use two vehicles, etc., so that you go home with images that are truly yours.
Mutual learning
· We work hard to incorporate an educational component to every adventure. It’s our priority that you learn about the subjects, their ecosystem or culture, and any conservation issues at hand. You cannot create meaningful images, especially in a safe and non-invasive way, without this knowledge.
· You’re encouraged to bring images for informal presentations in the afternoons or evenings. It’s a great way to get objective input about your images or personal photo projects. We travel with a digital projector and welcome images on CD, DVD, Flash Card, or memory key. On the final evening, before your return to Buenos Aires, we will have a presentation of everyone’s favorite images taken during our trip. The presentations have been extremely popular with hotel staff and other guests as well.
